1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lithographic projection apparatus comprising:
a radiation system for supplying a projection beam of radiation;
a mask table for holding a mask on a mask bearing surface, the mask serving to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern;
a substrate table for holding a substrate; and
a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate.
2. Background of the Related Art
Lithographic projection apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In such a case, the patterning means may generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. comprising one or more dies) on a substrate (silicon wafer) that has been coated with a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single wafer will contain a whole network of adjacent target portions that are successively irradiated via the projection system, one at a time. In current apparatus, employing pattering by a mask on a mask table, a distinction can be made between two different types of machine. In one type of lithographic projection apparatus, each target portion is irradiated by exposing the entire mask pattern onto the target portion at once; such an apparatus is commonly referred to as a step-and-scan apparatusxe2x80x94each target portion is irradiated by progressively scanning the mask pattern under the projection beam in a given reference direction (the xe2x80x9cscanningxe2x80x9d direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate table parallel or anti-parallel to this direction; since, in general, the projection system will have a magnification factor M (generally less than 1), the speed V at which the substrate table is scanned will be a factor M times that at which the mask table is scanned. More information with regard to lithographic devices are here described can be gleaned, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,046,792, incorporated herein by reference.
In a manufacturing process using a lithographic projection apparatus, a pattern (e.g. in a mask) is imaged onto a substrate that is at least partially covered by a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). Prior to this imaging step, the substrate may undergo various procedures, such as priming, resist coating and a soft bake. After exposure, the substrate may be subjected to other procedures, such as a post-exposure bake (PEB), development, a hard bake and measurement/inspection of the imaged features. This array of procedures is used as a basis to pattern an individual layer of a device, e.g. an IC. Such a patterned layer may then undergo various processes such as etching, ion-implantation (doping), metallization, oxidation, chemo-mechanical polishing, etc., all intended to finish off an individual layer. If several layers are required, then the whole procedure, or a variant thereof, will have to be repeated for each new layer. Eventually, an array of devices will be present on the substrate (wafer). These devices are then separated from one another by a technique such as dicing or sawing, whence the individual devices can be mounted on a carrier, connected to pins, etc. Further information regarding such processes can be obtained, for example, from the book xe2x80x9cMicrochip Fabrication: A Practical Guide to Semiconductor Processingxe2x80x9d, Third Edition, by Peter van Zant, McGraw Hill Publishing Co., 1997, ISBN 0-07-067250-4, incorporated herein by reference.
For the sake of simplicity, the projection system may hereinafter be referred to as the xe2x80x9clensxe2x80x9d; however, this term should be broadly interpreted as encompassing various types of projection system, including refractive optics, reflective optics, and catadioptric systems, for example. The radiation system may also include components operating according to any of these design types for directing, shaping or controlling the projection beam of radiation, and such components may also be referred to below, collectively or singularly, as a xe2x80x9clensxe2x80x9d. Further, the lithographic apparatus may be of a type having two or more substrate tables (and/or two or more mask tables). In such xe2x80x9cmultiple stagexe2x80x9d devices the additional tables may be used in parallel, or preparatory steps may be carried out on one or more tables while one or more other tables are being used for exposures. Twin stage lithographic apparatus are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,441 and WO 98/40791, both incorporated herein by reference.
The concept of a mask is well known in lithography, and it includes mask types such as binary, alternating phase-shift, and attenuated phase-shift, as well as various hybrid mask types. Placement of such a mask in the radiation beam causes selective transmission (in the case of a transmissive mask) or reflection (in the case of a reflective mask) of the radiation impinging on the mask, according to the pattern on the mask. The mask table ensures that the mask can be held at a desired position in the incoming radiation beam, and that it can be moved relative to the beam if so desired.
Conventionally, the mask table has been positioned such that radiation is passed from the illumination system through the mask, the projection system and onto the substrate. Such masks are known as transmissive masks since they selectively allow the radiation from the illumination system to pass through, thereby forming a pattern on the substrate. Such masks must be supported so as to allow the transmission of light therethrough. This has conventionally been achieved by using a vacuum in the table underneath a perimeter zone of the mask so that the atmospheric air pressure clamps the mask to the table.
In a lithographic apparatus the size of features that can be imaged onto the wafer is limited by the wavelength of the projection radiation. To produce integrated circuits with a higher density of devices, and hence higher operating speeds, it is desirable to be able to image smaller features. Whilst most current lithographic projection apparatus employ ultraviolet light generated by mercury lamps or excimer lasers, it has been proposed to use shorter wavelength radiation of around 13 nm. Such radiation is termed extreme ultraviolet (EUV) or soft x-ray and possible sources include laser-produced plasma sources, discharge sources or synchrotron radiation sources.
When EUV radiation is used, the projection system will be a non-telecentric on the object side. Therefore, variations in the height of the mask will cause variations in the horizontal and vertical position of the image on the substrate. Also, it is necessary to use a vacuum in the light propagating path to avoid absorption of the light. Thus, the conventional vacuum clamping will not operate.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lithographic apparatus comprising a mask table that may be used to accurately hold a mask to achieve correct positioning and improved flatness.
This and other objects are achieved according to the invention in a lithographic projection apparatus comprising:
a radiation system for providing a projection beam of radiation;
a mask table for holding a mask on a mask bearing surface, the mask serving to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern;
a substrate table for holding a substrate; and
a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate,
characterized in that said mask table comprises:
a compliant membrane comprising the mask bearing surface; and
at least one actuator operable to apply a force to the membrane so as to deform the membrane in a direction substantially perpendicular to the mask bearing surface.
Thus, variations in the surface of a reflective mask can be easily and accurately corrected.
Preferably, the actuators are operable on the backside surface, which opposes the mask bearing surface, of the membrane, and a number of such actuators may be used to increase the precision with which the membrane can be deformed. Further, springs may be used between the actuators and membrane so that the forces applied can be tightly controlled.
A mask level sensor may advantageously be used to scan the surface of the mask at a plurality of points so as to construct a three-dimensional map of the mask surface. A controller can then be used to instruct the actuators to provide forces to the membrane such that any irregularities in the mask surface are reduced.
The present invention also provides a lithographic projection apparatus as described above, further comprising a means for attaching a mask to said compliant membrane using an electrostatic force.
According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a device manufacturing method comprising the steps of:
providing a substrate that is at least partially covered by a layer of radiation-sensitive material;
providing a projection beam of radiation using a radiation system;
using a mask to endow the projection beam with a pattern in its cross-section; and
projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of the layer of radiation-sensitive material,
characterized by deforming a compliant membrane comprising a mask bearing surface against which the mask is supported in a direction substantially perpendicular to the mask bearing surface so as to control a shape of the mask.
Although specific reference may be made in this text to the use of the apparatus according to the invention in the manufacture of ICs, it should be explicitly understood that such an apparatus has many other possible applications. For example, it may be employed in the manufacture of integrated optical systems, guidance and detection patterns for magnetic domain memories, liquid-crystal display panels, thin-film magnetic heads, etc. The skilled artisan will appreciate that, in the context of such alternative applications, any use of the terms xe2x80x9creticlexe2x80x9d,xe2x80x9cwaferxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cdiexe2x80x9d in this text should be considered as being replaced by the more general terms xe2x80x9cmaskxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9csubstratexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ctarget portionxe2x80x9d, respectively.
In the present document, the terms xe2x80x9cradiationxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cbeamxe2x80x9d are used to encompass all types of electromagnetic radiation, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation (e.g. with a wavelength of 365, 248, 193, 157 or 126 nm) and extreme ultra-violet (EUV or XUV) radiation (e.g. having a wavelength in the range 5-20 nm), as well as particle beams, such as ion beams or electron beams.